William Smith opened its women’s basketball season with a 67-54 win at SUNY Geneseo on Friday, using a 15-point halftime lead to secure its first victory over the Knights since 2010.
Senior guard Ava Lobozzo recorded 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds at Carl Schrader Gymnasium, while senior Amelia McCulley scored a game-high 15 points, according to the Herons’ game recap. William Smith is 1-0 for the first time since the 2021-22 season; Geneseo fell to 0-1.
Strong first half gives Herons room to finish
William Smith built a 20-11 lead in the opening quarter, shooting 42% from the field and collecting 15 rebounds. Seven came on the offensive end, giving the Herons extra possessions as they established control.
The Herons followed with 19 points on 47% shooting in the second quarter. They scored eight points off turnovers during the period and held Geneseo to 13 points, taking a 39-24 lead into halftime.
Both teams scored 17 points in the third quarter. William Smith shot 38.5% from the field to Geneseo’s 35.7%, and Lobozzo hit a 3-pointer as time expired to send the Herons into the fourth with a 56-41 advantage.
Geneseo outscored William Smith 13-11 in the final period, shooting 33.3% while the Herons made 22.2% of their attempts. The Knights’ late push reduced the margin by two points but left William Smith with the nonconference victory.
McCulley reaches career blocks milestone
McCulley added five rebounds, a steal and a block to her 15 points. Her first block of the season gave her 90 for her career and sole possession of second place on William Smith’s career list. She went 4-for-8 from the field, made two 3-pointers and hit five of six free throws.
Ava Lobozzo made five of seven field-goal attempts, including both of her 3-point tries, and added three assists and a steal to her double-double. Junior Anne Keneally scored 11 points in 13 minutes, going 4-for-5 overall and 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Junior Jojo Sulmasy contributed nine points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. She made all five of her free throws. Senior Giana Lobozzo and sophomore Eily Hubler scored eight points apiece, with Lobozzo collecting four rebounds and a steal and Hubler handing out a team-high four assists.
Dani Krenzer grabbed seven rebounds, including four offensive boards, in nine minutes. Kira Ostovar added two assists.
William Smith outrebounded Geneseo 46-36 and held a 14-10 edge in assists. The Herons shot 39.7% from the field and 40.7% from 3-point range, compared with 31.3% overall for the Knights, who did not make a 3-pointer. William Smith shot 76.9% at the foul line; Geneseo shot 77.8%.
William Smith committed 15 turnovers to Geneseo’s eight, and the Knights held an 11-4 advantage in steals. Each team blocked three shots.
Kristin Suydam led the Knights with 12 points, six rebounds and three blocks. Audrey Hintz and Elizabeth Craft scored 11 points each and combined for eight rebounds, four steals and three assists. Jordyn Townes finished with nine points, five rebounds and two steals.
Head coach Seraphine Hamilton credited the Herons’ toughness, composure and teamwork, calling the result an important win for the program and a performance the team can build on.
William Smith travels to Fredonia on Saturday, Nov. 7, for another nonconference game. Tipoff against the Blue Devils is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Dods Hall Gymnasium.
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